The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that it has begun enforcing a ban on the manufacturing and sale of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and PET bottles containing less than 200ml.
NAFDAC's Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, made this announcement during a media briefing hosted by the agency on Wednesday in Lagos.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the enforcement of the ban was first communicated on November 11, 2025, when NAFDAC indicated that it would fully implement the prohibition by December 2025, as directed by the Senate.
However, the intended implementation faced a delay following a request from the federal government for the immediate halt of all related activities regarding the ban, pending ongoing consultations and a final directive.
Mrs. Adeyeye explained that the agency had received a directive from the Senate to enforce the prohibition and confirmed that NAFDAC has already commenced its enforcement actions.
She emphasized that the decision was made to protect public health and safeguard at-risk groups, notably children, teenagers, and young adults, from the deleterious effects associated with alcohol consumption.
Adeyeye also pointed out the considerable availability of high-alcohol content beverages in sachets and other compact packaging, which have made these products easily accessible, cost-effective, and easy to conceal.
"We have already initiated the enforcement of the ban on the production of alcohol in sachets and bottles less than 200ml following the Senate's order to proceed," she stated.
While NAFDAC does not oppose alcohol altogether, she asserted that the agency is against the proliferation of high concentrations of alcohol in these smaller packages to curb children's access to such products.
She revealed that before her appointment, sachet alcohol had an alcohol concentration ranging between 50 to 90 percent, which she deemed extremely excessive.
"We instructed the manufacturers to reduce the alcohol content to 30 percent, but they directly approached the ministry to express their dissatisfaction, citing concerns over job losses and investments," she added.
"The previous Minister of Health granted them a five-year transition period, from December 2018 to January 31, 2024, to adjust their operations," she explained.
Mrs. Adeyeye reiterated the agency’s unwavering commitment to preserving the nation’s health, particularly the safeguarding of vulnerable populations, through its regulatory initiatives. (NAN)
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